Being a Superhero
by ECLucas
Summary: "Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero."-Marc Brown; A collection of stories about the brothers in my human AU; mostly if not all Mikey-centric because he's my favorite; not in chronological order
1. Beginnings Part 1

**A/N: Boys' ages: Leo-7, Raph/Don-6, Mikey-4**

It was never a quiet night in New York City but as far as nights went in the city, this one was pretty quiet. In one of the many apartment buildings littering Manhattan, four brothers were fast asleep. Their parents didn't make much and could only afford a two-bedroom apartment so the young boys were forced to share a room, but they didn't mind. The brothers always stuck together no matter what and always looked after each other, especially the youngest.

An hour or two after midnight, the oldest son woke up suddenly. Leo sat up on the top bunk and looked around in confusion. As his blue eyes began to adjust to the darkness, he glanced at his brothers. The twins, Raph and Don, were still fast asleep. Raph was on the top bunk across the room, sprawled out as always with his blankets kicked to the bottom of the bed. Don was asleep peacefully on the bottom bunk with his arms tucked under his pillow as he slept on his stomach. Leo looked down at the bottom bunk of his own bed. Little Mikey was curled up on his side, his thumb placed firmly in his mouth.

Leo frowned. Usually the only things that woke him up in the middle of the night were his brothers but they seemed to be just fine. Leo was about to go back to sleep when he smelled something. Smoke! Leo scrambled down his ladder and out of the room. The apartment was already beginning to fill up with dark smoke and from under the door Leo could see light from the flames.

With his vision already clouding and his breathing becoming ragged, Leo ran back to his bedroom. "Don, Raph, get up! Fire!" He ran to his youngest brother's bed and shook him awake. "Mikey, wake up!" He turned to make sure that Raph and Don were getting up. "Come on guys, up!"

Raph groaned as he sat up. "What are you yelling about Leo?"

Leo gathered a sleepy Mikey up in his arms. "There's a fire in the building. We gotta get out of here!"

Raph and Don both woke up enough to realize the severity of the situation and hopped out of the bed. Leo carried Mikey as he led Don and Raph out of their bedroom. The apartment had filled up with more black smoke making it almost impossible to see anything. "Grab hands!" Leo ordered.

He felt Don grab his hand just as Raph shouted, "I ain't holding Don's hand!"

"Just do it!" Leo shouted back.

With some grumbling Raph took Don's hand and felt himself being pulled through the living room. Leo felt along the wall as well as he could with one arm around Mikey and the other hand gripping Donnie's tightly. Leo finally found the window and opened it to the fire escape. It was at that moment when Mikey chose to completely wake up and start crying. "Mikey! It's okay buddy!" Leo said trying to calm him down. "Don, Raph, you guys go down first! I'll follow with Mikey!"

They nodded and climbed out of the window. Once he was sure that his brothers were out safely, Leo looked at Mikey. "Okay Mikey, I need you to be brave for me buddy. I'm going to give you a piggyback ride and you have to hold on real tight, okay?" Mikey nodded tearfully and climbed onto Leo's back. As Leo climbed out of the window he added, "Don't look down buddy!"

The climb down was slow but all Leo could concentrate on was his baby brother hanging perilously from his neck. Sweet relief came with the sound of fire trucks coming up the street. Firefighters got to work below them and pretty soon Leo could hear a deep voice directly below him say, "I gotcha son. You're okay." The weight on Leo's back was removed and he panicked slightly as he started to feel light headed. He felt himself being led to one of the trucks and a warm hand placed an oxygen mask over his nose and face.

Leo was starting to doze off when his mind turned back to his brothers. He started to take the mask off when the hand returned and held it still. "Hold on son. You're okay." When the paramedic noticed Leo glancing around frantically he smiled. "Don't worry. Your brothers are okay too. They're in the next truck getting some oxygen. Nice job getting them out."

Leo only calmed a little. There was still something tugging at the edge of his mind. His vision gradually cleared and soon he had a clear view of the burning apartment building. Something was missing.

A few hours later the boys were sharing a hospital room. They were all still hooked up to oxygen but it was more of a precaution than a necessity. Leo was relieved to hear that he and his brothers had only suffered from mild smoke inhalation but he was at a loss. Tears streamed down his face as the doctor left the room. His brothers were asleep so he was the only one to hear the news. How was he going to explain to his brothers that they were now orphans?


	2. Beginnings Part 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I didn't expect this story to be so popular but I'm glad so many people enjoy it. This chapter is a bit shorter but no worries, more is definitely coming!**

Hamato Yoshi, or Splinter as more people knew him by, walked through the park, as was his daily routine. His wife and daughter used to enjoy walking through the park everyday and after they had died, he just couldn't bring himself to end the tradition. It was a good day for a walk too, warm and sunny with a slight breeze to keep it from getting too hot.

He was about halfway through the trail when he heard the familiar sounds of fighting. He broke off the trail and ran towards the fight. He skidded to a stop but the scene was certainly not one that he was expecting to see. Instead of breaking up a fight, he found himself watching one, sort of.

Three young boys were fighting off to the side, or at least to the untrained eye they were fighting. As a martial arts master and dojo sensei, Splinter could tell that they were in fact sparring, and they were actually pretty good. They were raw and a little undisciplined but Splinter could tell that they definitely had talent and would go far with the right training.

As he watched he noticed that the oldest seemed to look in one direction every few seconds, away from the fight. Splinter looked in the same direction and saw a fourth boy sitting in the grass and watching them, his eyes following every movement. Occasionally the little boy would stand up and mimic one of the moves he just saw. Splinter continued to be impressed as he watched all four of them.

He watched for several more minutes until they stopped and bowed to each other. They looked up in surprise when Splinter started clapping and walking towards them. Leo's eyes narrowed at the strange man and he pulled Mikey close to him. He never even sensed the man watching them. He obviously needed to keep training.

Splinter noticed their wary glances and slowed but didn't stop. "I didn't mean to startle you," Splinter offered as an apology. "I couldn't help but watch. You are very impressive for ones so young, especially you," he said addressing the oldest.

Leo studied the man curiously. He was middle-aged and Leo could tell that he was in very good shape from the way he held himself. His black hair was cut short and was streaked with the occasional gray and his eyes were a warm brown. He didn't seem to be dangerous but Leo kept his guard up nonetheless. "Who are you?" he asked.

Splinter bowed. "Forgive me. I am Hamato Yoshi but many of my students call me Splinter."

"Students?" Don asked.

Splinter nodded. "Yes. I own a dojo."

All wariness disappeared and suddenly the boys looked interested. If he was a dojo sensei he had to be honorable and trustworthy, at least, that was what the boys had learned from their own training. "I'm Leonardo and these are my brothers Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo," Leo introduced, "but everyone calls us Leo, Raph, Don, and Mikey."

Splinter blinked in surprise. The boys had certainly seemed close but he never would've pegged them for brothers. Leo had short black hair and dark blue eyes. Raph had short and spiked dark red hair and green eyes. Don had short shaggy brown hair and hazel eyes. Finally, Mikey had longer wavy blond hair, bright blue eyes, and freckles. They didn't really look alike at all.

Ignoring this, and the unusual names (their parents were obviously fans of the Italian Renaissance), Splinter asked, "How long have you been training?"

Leo and Raph looked at each other. "About two years," Leo answered. "Mikey hasn't started yet though, but he watches us."

Splinter's eyes widened as he looked at the youngest and smallest boy. Mikey grinned up at him with a toothy smile. Leo might've been a natural but now Splinter realized that Mikey probably had the most potential. Splinter had never had a student who was able to mimic a move nearly perfectly without any prior training. He looked around. "Where are your parents? You're not out here by yourself are you?"

The boys suddenly grew solemn. Leo put his arm around Mikey and hugged him. "They died in a fire a month ago. We live at the orphanage."

Splinter's heart went out to them. Losing a loved one was never easy, and he couldn't imagine what it must be like to lose both of your parents at such a young age. Suddenly, he got an idea. "Can you show me?"


	3. Beginnings Part 3

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews! They're very encouraging. Just a note, I do realize that orphanages don't exist anymore and I have a very basic understanding of the adoption process but this section is really just to set up the premise for the rest of my stories. Also, because it's an AU (not to mention even if it wasn't, giant talking turtles kind of create an AU in itself), I'm taking a lot of liberties to make the story work the way I'd like. Thanks for the advice though, I always appreciate it. Enjoy!**

As Splinter allowed himself to be taken to the orphanage he asked, "How old are you boys?"

This time Raph answered, his voice already a bit rougher than his brothers. "Leo's 7, me and Donnie are 6, and Mikey's 4."

Splinter nodded. He knew that they would be young but their ages still surprised him. They were just so mature, but he supposed it was to be expected after losing both parents so young. He looked down with a smile as he felt a small hand slip into his. Mikey smiled up at him with that toothy grin that just warmed Splinter's heart. "How old are you?" Mikey asked.

"Mikey!" Leo hissed.

"What?" Mikey asked innocently as he turned around to stare at his older brother, his blue eyes wide.

"You don't just go around asking people how old they are," Don reprimanded him.

"Why not? Splinter did it."

Splinter chuckled at the boy's reasoning. "It's okay boys, I don't mind." He looked at the little boy and smiled. "I'm 34 Mikey."

Mikey's eyes widened. "Wow. You're old." Splinter chuckled again at the groan and what sounded like a face palm behind them. He certainly missed the innocence of a child. "Do you have a family?" Mikey asked.

Splinter hesitated for a second as memories of his wife and daughter came flying back. "I used to," he answered softly. Thankfully even Mikey sensed the sad tone and didn't push the subject.

The awkward silence ended when they arrived at the orphanage. It was an old brick building that had been left over from the turn of the century. Several kids were playing on the sidewalk and on the steps out front. Mikey led Splinter past the kids and into the old building with his older brothers following behind them. "This is the orphanage," he announced proudly.

Splinter looked around and was about to ask Leo where he could find an adult when an older woman came bustling through the commotion. "Boys, what kind of trouble have you gotten into this time?" She stopped short when she noticed Splinter. "Oh, hello, who are you?"

"Hamato Yoshi," he said extending his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Are you the person in charge of this orphanage?"

The woman shook his hand and nodded. "Yes, I'm Sandra Harris. What have the boys done this time?"

Leo frowned and Mikey shouted, "We didn't do nothing!" just as Splinter shook his head to correct her. "Actually they haven't done anything. They are remarkably polite boys. I was hoping that I could actually talk with you in your office."

The boys watched as Ms. Harris led Splinter to her office. "What do you think he wants to talk to Ms. Harris 'bout?" Mikey asked.

"Who cares?" Raph said with a scoff. He left his brothers to go to their shared room. The others followed as Leo took Mikey's hand and shared a knowing look with Don.

In Ms. Harris's office Splinter sat on the other side of the desk from her. "Okay Mr. Yoshi, what would you like to talk about?"

He ignored the fact that she got his name reversed. Most Americans didn't know that Japanese surnames came first. "I'm interested in adopting those four boys," Splinter told her.

She frowned. "Are you sure? They have some issues. Raphael has anger management problems and is always getting into trouble, Donatello is way too smart for his own good and is always getting into things that he shouldn't be, Michelangelo never sits still and only listens to his brothers if even them, and Leonardo takes everything way too seriously and seems to have some lingering issues from their parents' deaths. One alone is a handful; all four is just ridiculous."

Splinter stared at the woman in disbelief. She couldn't possibly think that! Here were four boys who had just lost their parents only a month ago, now all alone in the world, and she was labeling them as problems. Not to mention the implication of actually splitting them up! "You would really split them up?" he asked.

"Of course," Ms. Harris answered as if it were the most obvious plan in the world. "No one would be able to handle all four boys and even so, there are just no families willing to take in four damaged young boys."

Splinter frowned at her choice of words and forced himself not to say anything about it. "I am willing to take all four in," he reiterated.

Ms. Harris eyed him. "How exactly did you meet them anyway?"

Splinter would've rolled his eyes if the action wasn't considered rude. Now she acted like she cared about them? "I met them while they were…playing in the park," he answered choosing to leave out the fact that they were actually sparring. He had a feeling that Ms. Harris would not take that piece of information very well.

"Oooh, I told those boys to stay near the orphanage," she exclaimed. "See what I mean? Nothing but disobedient troublemakers."

Splinter's frown deepened. "Nevertheless, I am still willing to adopt them."

"And what does your wife say about this?"

Splinter's eyes darkened at the second mention of his family. "My wife died several years ago, along with my daughter," he answered.

Ms. Harris raised a critical eyebrow. "And you think you're capable of caring for four emotionally damaged boys?"

"I have the financial resources and the time," Splinter said firmly. "I own a dojo, which will give the boys a place to release their pent-up energy. The boys told me that they have been training for two years already. I can continue their training personally. As for the emotional toll, I know the pain of losing your family. I can help them through it, and if I can't I am willing to take them to a children's counselor."

"You know that you can't change your mind and dump them back on us when they become too much?"

Splinter frowned again. He didn't like that she implied that he would want to give them up. He was really starting to dislike this woman. "I would not dream of it."

Ms. Harris was quiet for a few minutes before she pulled out several forms. "Very well, if you insist. Fill out these forms. The process normally takes several months to a year but you shouldn't get your hopes up. It's not very often that a single man is allowed to adopt four traumatized boys."

Splinter took the forms and nodded. "Thank you." He left the office and looked around, hoping to run into the boys again but they seemed to have disappeared. He sighed and took a look at the forms in his hands. He had a few calls to make.

**Additional A/N: I wish I could update faster but school just started again this past Monday. If anyone has gone to graduate school (I'm currently in my 2****nd**** year of a JD/MBA), you know how busy it gets, and I work, so bear with me. I'll update as often as I can because love you that you enjoy my story. :)**


	4. Beginnings Part 4

The four brothers piled into their room after leaving Splinter with Ms. Harris. Mikey jumped onto one of the beds with Raph, ignoring his brother's growl when the mattress flopped. "Do you think Splinter's gonna adopt us?" he asked excitedly.

"Don't get your hopes up squirt," Raph said as he fell backwards on the bed, his arms tucked under his head. "No one's gonna adopt all four of us."

"Do you think Ms. Harris is gonna split us up?" Mikey asked frightened.

"That's not going to happen Mikey," Leo tried to assure him. "We're brothers. We're sticking together no matter what happens."

"Actually," Don started, "the statistical likelihood of all four of us getting adopted together is…uh…never mind," he mumbled as Leo shot him a warning glare.

"We're not going to be split up," Leo said firmly. "I'm not going to let that happen."

"And how, oh fearless leader, are you going to do that?" Raph asked mockingly.

Leo didn't answer because for once he didn't have one. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it but he was determined to protect his brothers. For now all he could do was smile reassuringly.

Several weeks passed before the boys heard from Splinter again. They had had several families come by but most were only interested in adopting Mikey. Mikey managed to dissuade them with spoiled brat acts and temper tantrums but Leo knew that it was only a matter of time before a couple saw past that and attempted to take their youngest brother.

They had all but forgotten about Splinter until he arrived on the front steps of the orphanage one sunny July morning. The boys had just finished eating their breakfast and were leaving the dining room when Splinter walked into the foyer. "Splinter!" Mikey shouted as he ran to the older man and hugged him around his legs.

Splinter laughed as he kneeled down to hug the boy back. "Hello Mikey. It's good to see you."

Mikey pulled back and looked Splinter in the eye. "I missed you. Where were you?" he asked seriously.

Splinter smiled softly. "I'm sorry. I missed you too but I had some business to take care of before I came back." He looked over Mikey's blond hair at the older boys. "Is Ms. Harris in her office?"

"She should be," Leo answered.

"Good. I will be right back. Don't go far." He ruffled Mikey's hair before standing up and walking to the main office.

"What do you think that was all about?" Don asked.

"He's gonna adopt us!" Mikey exclaimed jumping up and down.

"I doubt it," Raph grumbled.

"You'll see Raph," Mikey said with a slight pout. "Splinter's gonna adopt us and we'll have a new father and we'll be a family again."

Raph frowned. "I already had a father," he said angrily and ran off to their room.

"Raph!" Leo called after him. He turned back to Don. "Watch Mikey," he instructed him before running after Raph."

Leo found his brother curled up on his side on one of the beds. "Oh Raph," Leo said gently as he closed the bedroom door. He didn't try to hug his brother but he did put a soft hand on his shoulder. "Raph, being adopted doesn't mean that we're replacing our parents."

"Forget it Leo," Raph mumbled into the sheets.

"If Splinter adopts all four of us, we'll be able to stay together," Leo continued, ignoring his brother. "The next couple that comes interested in Mikey might actually want to take him, and I don't think I can stop it next time."

"I don't want them to think we forgot about them," Raph whispered.

"What?"

Raph sat up and turned to face Leo. "What if we get adopted and we forget Mom and Dad?"

This time Leo couldn't help but pull Raph into his arms. Raph resisted at first but after a few seconds he relaxed in his brother's embrace. "We're not going to forget Mom and Dad Raph. They would want us to move on and be adopted." Raph nodded into his brother's chest but didn't say anything else.

In Ms. Harris's office Splinter pulled out several sheets of paper and handed them over to the older woman. Ms. Harris looked over the papers in amazement. "How did you do this? Even the adoption process for approved couples takes longer than this."

Splinter couldn't help but smirk. "I have very good friends."

"I can see that," Ms. Harris said absentmindedly. "And you're sure you want to do this? They can be a handful."

Splinter stood up resolutely. "I am, and I suggest you pay attention to your attitude towards your charges. I suspect that there will be an inspection soon." He left before Ms. Harris could get another word in. Mikey and Don were still waiting the hallway obediently, although Mikey looked like he wouldn't be able to stand still for another minute. He smiled as he kneeled down in front of the young boys. "How would you guys like to come live with me?"

Both Don and Mikey's eyes widened. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" Mikey shouted. He started to spin around in the hallway singing, "We're gonna have a father! We're gonna have a father!"

Don on the other hand was a little less articulate. "But-but-aren't you single?"

Splinter raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"How did they let you adopt us?"

Splinter winked at him. "I have my connections."

"Are you adopting all four of us?" Don asked. Even Mikey stopped spinning and promptly fell over. Splinter blinked in surprise. "Of course I'm adopting all four of you. Where are Raph and Leo anyway?"

Mikey grabbed his hand and pulled him along. "Our room's this way."

Raph pulled away from Leo just as the bedroom door opened. "And we sleep in here," Mikey was saying. He let go of Splinter's hand and ran to Leo. "Leo, Leo, Leo! Splinter's gonna adopt us, all four of us!" He briefly looked over at Raph and stuck out his tongue. "Told ya so."

Leo smiled at his baby brother before looking up at Splinter. "Are you sure that you want to do this?"

Splinter looked surprised that he would even ask that question. "Of course."

Leo stood and bowed to him. "Thank you sir. I'll help take care of my brothers. You won't have to worry about them."

Splinter sighed and got on one knee. He put his hands on Leo's shoulders forcing the young boy to look at him. "The only thing I want you to do is concentrate on school, your training, and being a kid."

He felt his heart soar as he watched Leo's blue eyes light up. "We get to continue our training?"

"Yes. I'll be training you myself."

He looked over to the bed where Raph was watching them silently. The redhead squirmed under the scrutiny. "So uh, what do we call you then?" he asked.

"You can call me whatever you want," Splinter answered. "Splinter, Sensei, whatever you feel comfortable with."

Raph looked down as he kicked his feet. "I guess it'll be nice to get outta this place," he said with a small grin as he looked back up at his family.

Splinter grinned. "Good. Pack your things. It's time to go home."

**A/N: The story isn't over! As my summary says, this is a collection of stories and I have plenty more planned; this is just the beginning!**


	5. Nightmares

**A/N: Boys' ages: Leo-7, Raph/Don-6, Mikey-4; Sorry it took so long to update. Enjoy!**

It had been several months since Splinter adopted the boys and they had begun to adjust relatively well. All four, including Mikey to his extreme happiness, began training at Splinter's dojo. The change was almost instantaneous. Leo threw himself into his training, infusing his natural leadership skills into guiding his brothers in their own training. He was still the most serious of the four and still had a tendency to lead his brothers when he could, but outside of the dojo he was much more relaxed than Splinter had seen him at the orphanage. Raph still had his anger management issues but Splinter was working with him to use that anger in his training. It was a slow process but the results were gradually starting to reveal themselves when the number of Raph's angry outbursts began to decrease. Don had probably surprised Splinter the most. Ms. Harris had mentioned that he was smart but that had definitely been an understatement. Don was brilliant. It had taken the first several weeks for Splinter to convince Don that he wasn't going to send him back if they did anything wrong. Once he was confident in his place with Splinter, Don had revealed himself to be a pretty adept inventor. He was quieter than his brothers, although just as talented in the dojo, but when it came to academics he shined. The once quiet dojo was now filled with the occasional sound of an explosion from Don's latest invention. Mikey was still his cheerful, bouncy self. His unlimited energy and short attention span kept his training sessions short but the little boy was eager to catch up to his older brothers so he progressed quickly.

Splinter also experienced a change. The hole that had been left behind by the deaths of his wife and daughter was starting to fill. The pain never completely went away, and he was sure that the same was true for the boys regarding their parents, but the pain was certainly starting to lessen.

Despite the success they had becoming a family, they still had their occasional setbacks. A couple of months after being adopted, Mikey tossed and turned in his bed. The boys had opted to sleep in bunk beds again so Leo and Mikey slept in one room while Don and Raph slept in the other.

Leo sat up in his bed and looked around. He waited for a minute before he heard a whimper from below him. As he looked down he saw Mikey tangled up in his bed sheets with a pained look on his face. Leo climbed down the ladder and attempted to shake his baby brother awake. "Mikey, wake up! You're having a nightmare. Mikey!"

It took a few seconds but Mikey's bleary blue eyes opened up to look at his brother's dark blue ones. Mike's eyes glistened with unshed tears and Leo's heart broke. He sat down on the bed and pulled Mikey into his lap. Mikey gripped his brother's blue pajama top and Leo could feel it becoming damp with Mikey's tears. "Did you have another nightmare buddy?" Mikey nodded into Leo's chest, still shaking slightly from his sobs. "Do you wanna talk about it?" Mikey shook his head. Leo sighed and just held his brother until he was ready to talk.

After about five minutes the bedroom door opened and Leo looked up. Don and Raph walked in and looked at Mikey. "He had another nightmare?" Don asked as he ran gentle fingers through his brother's soft blond hair. Leo nodded without saying anything and the two remaining brothers gathered around to offer support.

It was another five minutes before Splinter woke up in his room. Something was wrong but he wasn't sure what. He looked around the room quickly as his eyes adjusted to the darkness before he got out of bed to go check on the boys. He checked on Don and Raph's room first and panicked upon finding it empty until he heard whispers coming from Leo and Mikey's room. When he went to check he found all four boys sitting on Mikey's bed with their heads together and whispering. "Boys?" he said announcing his presence. "What are you doing up?"

The boys jumped lightly in surprise and turned to Splinter with guilty looks on their faces. "Sorry Sensei. We didn't mean to wake you," Leo apologized.

Splinter waved his hand to dismiss the apology. "What's wrong? Why are you awake?"

They hesitated before looking down at Mikey who was still settled in Leo's arms. "Mikey had a nightmare," Don told their adopted father truthfully.

Splinter nodded and went to sit on the bed with them. Leo reluctantly let go of Mikey as Splinter took him. "Mikey, have you been having a lot of nightmares?"

"Only occasionally," Leo answered for him. "He's been getting better."

"Thank you Leo but I was asking Mikey," Splinter said gently. "Mikey?" Mikey nodded. "What are they about?"

Mikey shuddered in his arms and Splinter felt terrible for making Mikey go through this but he had to talk about it or the nightmares would surely continue. Finally Mikey whispered, "The fire." Splinter waited patiently for Mikey to continue so Mikey took a deep breath. "I dreamed about our parents dying in the fire."

Splinter nodded his understanding. "Do you boys ever have nightmares too?" Leo and Don nodded slowly but Raph simply shook his head. Leo skeptically eyed him until Raph sighed heavily and nodded as well with a slight glare at his older brother. "If you boys ever have a nightmare, you can always come to see me. It's common for people to have dreams or even nightmares about their loved ones after losing them. There's nothing wrong with it." Splinter hesitated before continuing. "I still have nightmares sometimes about my wife and daughter." The boys perked up some. Splinter rarely talked about his late wife and daughter. "They were killed in a car accident seven years ago and even though it was seven years ago, I still dream about them."

"Why does it hurt so bad?" Mikey asked as he wiped his nose with his bright orange sleeve.

"Because you loved them so much," Splinter explained. "The pain will probably never go away and that's okay because it just shows how much they mean to you. The key is to remember the good times that you had with them. I know that your parents loved you guys a lot and would want you to be happy." The boys nodded and Mikey sniffed again. "Are you ready to go back to bed now?" Mikey nodded so they all got off of his bed so that Splinter could tuck him in.

Don and Raph stood around awkwardly until Splinter chuckled. "Would you two like to stay with your brothers tonight?" They nodded enthusiastically. "Go on."

Once Don was settled in the top bunk with Leo and Raph was wrapped around Mikey in the bottom bunk, Splinter said, "I'll call the school in the morning and tell them that you won't be in. I think we all need a day off. Now, go to sleep."

Mikey closed his eyes as Splinter turned off the light and left the room. He heard Raph grunt as Mikey wiggled and got comfortable in his older brother's arms but didn't stop until he was settled. He fell asleep quickly and slept through the night without any nightmares.


End file.
